Patrick M. KeckSpringfield State Journal- Register
Sonya Massey's family held a visitation and funeral service on Friday, two days after a Sangamon County grand jury indicted a now former sheriff deputy in her fatal shooting.
It was a standing-room crowd at the Ruby Funeral Services and Chapel on East Washington Street, with many family and friends donning purple. And while tears were shed, the family wanted the public to celebrate the 36-year-old and remember her for what she was: a loving mother to two, devout in her faith and great cook.
"She was about her kids, her family, and she was about God," Raymond Massey, Sonya's uncle, told reporters during a press conference at the Springfield NAACP headquarters.
The funeral comes almost two weeks after Massey was shot and killed by a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy inside her home in Woodside Township. This week, Sean P. Grayson was named and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two other charges in the case.
More: Court documents reveal Illinois deputy shot Sonya Massey in the face inside her home
Charging documents revealed in court Wednesday show Grayson, 30, drew his 9-millimeter on July 6 and threatened to shoot Massey in the face. Grayson "aggressively yelled" for Massey, who placed the 911 call, to put down a pot of boiling water before shooting her three times, one in the head.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Grayson told his fellow deputy, so far unnamed and uncharged in the case, to not administer aid to Massey who would later die at HSHS St. John's Hospital. Sheriff Jack Campbell fired Grayson on Wednesday, saying his actions "do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office or law enforcement as a whole," in a statement.
'Shock the conscience': Body camera footage to go public Monday
The Massey family saw the body camera footage for the first time on Wednesday, which will be made available to the public by the Illinois State Police on Monday. Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser said a review of the state police investigation, including body camera footage, "did not support a finding" that Grayson was justified in his use of deadly force.
Not only the video, but the audio itself are considered particularly disturbing said Crump, who is representing the family in the matter.
Crump, who previously represented Earl Moore Jr.'s family wrongful death suit, said what will be revealed will "shock the conscience of America" similar to Emmett Till and George Floyd.
"It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable," he told funeral service attendees. "I mean, this video is tragic in every sense."
Grayson also held a significant size difference compared to Massey, by more than one foot and double her weight. The discrepancy begged the question why he even needed a gun, said Crump.
Several protests have taken place throughout Springfield, starting last Friday outside the Sangamon County building, and the case is now beginning to garner international attention. All protests have remained peaceful, and ahead of the footage release Springfield NAACP President Austin Randolph, Jr. is calling on the community to keep it that way.
"When you've seen, you will know that something went wrong, very wrong," Randolph said, who has viewed the body cam footage. "I'm asking the citizens, I'm asking the city and law enforcement agencies: let's do the right thing. Let's be positive, let's be understanding and most importantly, think before you act and hopefully everyone will go home safe."
"We don't need any distractions," he added. "We want this court case to go all the way and we want the full discipline and justice to the fullest extent of the law."
Grayson came to the Sangamon County Sheriff's office after serving in several nearby law enforcement agencies. Perhaps most notably though, he was hired despite having two charges of driving under the influence in Macoupin County.
Wilburn called on state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, who submitted a proclamation to be read during the service, to lead a law preventing sheriff offices from hiring deputies with a prior record.
"If a Black man has a blemish on his credit because he paid his credit card too late, or his house bill too late, you know he can't be hired as a member of law enforcement," he said, calling into question why he hired the now former deputy in May 2023.
"But here's a man, who killed my baby, he had two DUI's... there were all these red flags, yet they still made him a deputy in this county," Wilburn continued.
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In Decatur Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker said a review of police training may be necessary.
"Look, when you talk to police officers and leaders in law enforcement, they will tell you that they think there should be more training, that we should put more resources to training, and that their officers should receive more training," he said at an unrelated event. "And I couldn’t agree more."
Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
